27.10.2018 2

Many buyers are interested in the question, why is honey not candied? What does it mean? After all, everyone knows that a natural bee product should crystallize over time and become lighter and harder in consistency. This is the nature of this delicacy. Therefore, when choosing a quality product, some of us focus on this indicator and buy only honey that already contains sediment.

If you purchase it in a store or from unknown sellers, you may encounter a counterfeit, low-quality product, and even harm your health by using a dubious product instead of a healing one. How not to make a mistake, and is it worth buying a transparent amber delicacy on the counter? We will describe tips for storing and choosing natural honey, and also explain the reasons why even a good bee product can remain liquid for a long time.

Mechanisms of crystallization

To understand the whole process of transformation of honey and its different states, you need to delve a little deeper into physics and chemistry. Fresh bee product is usually amber in color, a lighter or darker shade, depending on the variety, time of collection and other characteristics. Most often it is sold in a liquid state, when the external characteristics are more attractive and pleasant. But sometimes this indicates a low-quality product or a fake.

Since honey is a saturated solution, which contains a huge number of microelements interacting with each other, a complex structure, then in principle it cannot remain in the same state for a long time.

Any excess should precipitate, and the water balance will normalize. Its consistency changes as it is stored. And by winter, usually, this product already becomes candied, thick or even hard. What does it mean?

Of all the components, glucose and fructose should be distinguished. They both add sweetness and even cloying properties, being natural sweeteners. And depending on the concentration of each of them, sugaring occurs. As you know, glucose has the property of forming light yellowish flakes, does not dissolve and creates sugar crystals around any solid base, such as pollen. If there is more of it in the composition, then this process occurs faster.

When fructose predominates, this mechanism slows down, because this element coats the glucose crystals, envelops them and thereby prevents them from quickly decaying. But the sugaring process is also influenced by many other factors:

1. The time of pumping out honey, the stage at which it was collected.
2. The variety, the variety, the plant from which the nectar was brought.
3. Chemical composition of the product.
4. Humidity and storage temperature.
5. How long did he stand in the room?
6. Has there been any additional processing?
7. Degree of maturity, etc.

It is believed that the optimal storage conditions for this product will be a temperature within +10°...+15°. And if you put a jar of honey in a room where the indicators are higher or significantly lower, then the crystallization process is suspended due to natural reasons. But a natural bee product must sooner or later be candied. For some varieties, a few weeks are enough, for others – a couple of months.

Some beekeepers adjust temperature indicators during storage in their favor in order to keep the delicacy in good condition for as long as possible. For example, it is placed in a basement for several months, where the readings do not exceed -4 degrees, then it is possible to preserve the product in a liquid consistency until the moment of sale without the risk of deteriorating its quality. But this method is still undesirable.

The longest time that real honey can be stored without changing its consistency is considered to be a year and a half. And if you bought a beautiful, fragrant and tasty delicacy, and it has been in the same condition for quite a long time, then you have purchased a fake. In most cases, last year's honey should be candied.

It is important to understand one more nuance. Although fresh bee product is considered the most useful and rich in composition, changes in its consistency during storage do not affect the quality. The candied delicacy contains as many valuable and medicinal components as the liquid one. All vitamins and microelements remain in their original form.

But the crystallization process itself must take place evenly throughout the entire thickness of the jar. If the product is not stratified and candied equally, then its quality should be questioned.

Sometimes beekeepers even store so-called rock honey, which is very, very hard in consistency. It can be broken off and eaten like grilled meat or candy. Its benefits are the same as those of liquid, but for convenience, this product is stored not in a jar, but in food foil.

When does good honey not crystallize?

Experienced beekeepers know that the liquid and transparent state of a product does not always indicate its poor quality. There are some exceptions when a product can be given a beautiful appearance without losing its healing components. And also some varieties behave differently, as they have different chemical characteristics. Let us list the main reasons why honey was not candied during the year, but its quality remained unchanged:

• If the glucose content is less than 30%, then the product does not lend itself to crystallization for a very long time.
• The storage temperature exceeds 15 degrees, for example, if you keep it in a room where it is always +23°, then the sugaring process will slow down very much due to natural reasons.
• Some varieties are distinguished by a more liquid state, these include chestnut, acacia, sage, fireweed, clover, honeydew, heather, they can maintain a liquid consistency for up to 24 months, for which they have gained popularity among the people.
• There are very few solid elements in the composition, for example, pollen or anything else, which contribute to more accelerated crystallization.

Although such a product is very useful, in order to use it for a long time it must be periodically subjected to heat treatment. This is the only way to achieve a soft composition. The main thing is to do this carefully, carefully, so as not to turn a healing product into a dangerous and harmful one.

Errors

But much more often, the reason that honey keeps its consistency unchanged for a long time is incorrect conditions of collection, storage or processing of the product, as well as obvious fakes, of which there are more and more on the market today. The most common ones include:

1. The beekeeper turned out to be inexperienced or wants to make a profit too quickly, so he did not allow the honey to ripen properly. If you pump it out of the honeycomb prematurely, it does not have time to go through all the natural processes and a lot of water remains in the composition. Such a product does not crystallize, separates, and after a few weeks can ferment. It has a sharp and unpleasant odor with sourness. Honey should be collected only when it has gone through all the required reactions of breaking down sugars, has gotten rid of excess water and the bees have closed the frame with a wax lid. Not all novice beekeepers know this.
2. If stored incorrectly, the composition of the product is sometimes disrupted. For example, if a jar or barrel is not tightly covered, and the humidity in the room is too high, then honey very quickly absorbs water molecules. Then its quality deteriorates sharply, moisture begins to predominate in the composition, it stops crystallizing and may also ferment.
3. An unnatural or diluted product is offered on the market by unscrupulous sellers. For the purpose of enrichment, they can add other components and substances to natural honey that increase its aesthetic properties, but significantly affect the composition and quality of the delicacy. There are often cases when they sell something that looks like honey, but in fact there is not even part of the natural product there. It is made from powder and chemical reagents or diluted with flour, starch, sugar syrup, etc. Therefore, it is better to learn how to determine the quality of a product so as not to fall into an outright fake.
4. Incorrect processing - often occurs when selling last year's product, which has stagnated, or in the case of trade through large chains. So, to achieve a liquid consistency, you need to heat it. But if the temperature rises above 40°, the quality of the honey will deteriorate sharply. It is believed that at high levels it begins to release carcinogenic substances. Processing in industrial production is carried out in a similar way. In this case, the process of filtration and purification occurs. It also involves heating to high temperatures, which destroys all the beneficial components.

Some beekeepers also heat the honey to give it a better presentation. But if this is an experienced and knowledgeable person, then he will do everything according to the rules and the quality of natural honey will not suffer.

The fact remains irrefutable: a real bee product must sooner or later become candied. Even if it is low in glucose, when stored in warm or cold areas. The crystallization process can be delayed and take one and a half or two years. But if the purchased jar of treats has been standing unchanged for more than three years, then this only means one thing - you purchased a fake that has nothing in common with a natural product.

How to make honey liquid?

It is known that when warm, this delicacy tends to become soft again and recover. In this state, it is much more pleasant and convenient to eat as a sweet, add it to medicinal compositions and infusions. But the crystallization process sometimes leads to the fact that even a metal spoon bends and it is impossible to get honey out of the jar.

• Place the jar of honey in a water bath and constantly make sure that the temperature does not rise above 40 degrees, it will gradually melt and become the same as before.
• You can place a container with a candied product next to a stove or a warm radiator, but keep in mind that the hotter the object, the farther the honey needs to be kept from it so that it does not spoil, and although this process is quite slow, it is as safe as possible.
• Beekeepers have special devices, decrystallizers, which, without any particular risks, can heat honey and return it to its marketable appearance, while completely preserving its chemical characteristics and healing properties.

Video: Why does honey crystallize?

There are probably not many people who don't like honey. In preparation for winter, we try to purchase a sweet treat, which is also a very healthy product. And here many questions always arise. Should the product be thick or liquid and in general, To understand the issue, let's look at the topic in more detail.

Should honey be sugared or not?

When we open honey in winter, we are sincerely upset when we discover that it has become candied. By the same principle, we acquire sweetness, believing that the liquid product is better, fresher and healthier. Many people, even in winter, prefer to buy exactly the honey that retains its liquid consistency. But this is a fundamentally wrong approach. Many people make a similar mistake in reasoning due to inexperience, not knowing the answer to the logical question, why is honey sugared?

Crystallization of a product is a completely natural process that occurs in natural substances. This is the best characteristic of quality. Why does honey sugar quickly? It is worth knowing that even in apiaries, when honey is stored in honeycombs for a long time, the crystallization process begins. This is very good, because it is in such a product that all the beneficial substances are preserved.

How quickly does honey sugar? A good quality product should change its consistency by the beginning of winter. At first it becomes a little cloudy, and then an upper sediment forms, which gradually turns into crystals. After sugaring, honey first becomes hard and then soft. All this speaks about the naturalness of such a product.

Different types of honey look completely different in appearance after condensation. Some of them resemble butter, while others become like grains of sugar. No matter how the crystals look, any honey must be sugared. If you purchase sweets in winter or late autumn, then you should focus on its consistency. By this time, the honey should have signs of sugaring.

Why do some varieties take a long time to sugar?

Why do you think honey is not sugared for a long time? Monosaccharides inside a sweet product are its main value. Their ratio is quite high. It is for this reason that honey begins to sugar over time. And yet there are varieties that remain liquid for a very long time without changing the original structure.

It is worth highlighting a number of reasons why the product does not thicken:

1. Monosaccharides are a combination of grape and fruit sugars. When the second type of sugar predominates in the product, honey loses its ability to crystallize.
2. To obtain precious nectar, some unscrupulous beekeepers feed bees with sugar syrup, which leads to a low-quality product. It is usually called a surrogate. It remains liquid for a long time.
3. After heat treatment, honey loses not only all its beneficial properties, but also the possibility of crystallization. An overheated product sometimes takes on a dark tint.
4. In addition, honey cannot be sugared if its water content is high. This situation is possible if the product is stored incorrectly. If the technology is broken, the nectar begins to absorb moisture, which leads to the loss of certain properties.
5. Frequent stirring of the product may also disrupt the crystallization process. Sellers use this technique to make their product look more attractive for a long time.
6. Natural honey diluted with sugar syrup becomes liquid and does not thicken further.

Liquid varieties

Why does honey sugar very slowly? There are liquid varieties of honey in nature. The rate of crystallization depends on the type of nectar, that is, on the type of plant from which the pollen was collected. In any case, each type of product has a mixed composition with a predominance of one type. The rate of crystallization of honey depends on this.

Some species become sugared extremely slowly, but it cannot be said that they do not crystallize. Such a statement would be incorrect. All varieties are condensed and sugared, but they do so at different rates. The linden, may, acacia, chestnut and Greek species are characterized by slow processes. Such varieties remain liquid for a long time without losing their beautiful shade.

Causes of crystallization

To answer the question why fresh honey is sugared, you need to understand what processes occur inside it. All saturated solutions, which include bee nectar, cannot maintain a homogeneous structure for a long time. According to the laws of physics, an excess of a substance tends to turn into sediment. Honey contains a large amount of glucose, which is quite poorly soluble in liquid. It is because of this that white flakes - crystals - appear. The ratio of fructose to glucose levels affects the rate of crystallization. With a large amount of fructose, the product will remain liquid for a long time.

The speed of processes is influenced by storage temperature, air humidity, degree of ripeness, and processing before packaging. The optimal crystallization temperature is 15 degrees. Below four degrees and above twenty-seven, processes are suspended until better times.

The most popular varieties of sweet nectar

One of the most popular types of honey is linden honey. It belongs to the fine-grained white varieties. This nectar retains its consistency for quite a long time - almost three months. Linden honey can be viscous or moderately viscous. The rate of thickening of the product largely depends on this. After crystallization, linden honey becomes like porridge.

There are no large crystals. After a certain period of time, you can notice the nectar separating into two parts. The top layer will have a thinner consistency, and the bottom layer will be thicker. But despite all this, linden honey will never become hard. This is his peculiarity.

May honey is no less popular. Sometimes it is also called floral. The time of its crystallization largely depends on which plants the bees collected pollen from. By the way, May nectar is always a quickly sugaring product. For example, blueberry flower honey thickens within three weeks. And nectar from sage - within a month.

Is it true that nectar is sugared in grains?

Why does honey become sugary in grains? Because glucose collects near the particles, forming crystals. Moreover, the process always starts from the bottom. After all, this is where heavy particles of impurities or pollen fall. But gradually the crystallization process covers the entire product.

Does honey have to thicken or not?

The honey should definitely thicken. Regardless of the conditions under which it is stored and all other factors, a natural product must crystallize sooner or later. The thickening process can occur a week after collection, or maybe several years later. It is worth noting that after three years of storage only artificial honey can remain liquid. This is proof of its unnatural origin.

Everyone has probably encountered a situation where a fresh product immediately thickened. Why does fresh honey sugar quickly? Sometimes nectar literally immediately turns into a sugar clot. However, there is no need to worry about this. Early ripening types of honey may well crystallize quickly. In addition, the thickening process is influenced by the following factors, which we mentioned earlier:

1. The presence of mechanical impurities and pollen.
2. High glucose content.
3. Adding old honey.

All these factors are not something terrible and do not give reason to consider the product bad. It is much worse when honey does not thicken, which indicates its unnatural origin.

To form a crystalline structure, honey needs a fulcrum. These become particles of pollen or other substances that fall during nectar pumping.

Experienced beekeepers who know many secrets of the product give some recommendations on how to preserve the original appearance of honey. First, it must be kept for about five weeks at zero temperature. And then the jar can be sent for storage to a place whose temperature does not exceed 14 degrees.

When should honey thicken?

Many consumers are interested in why honey thickens but does not become sugary? And how quickly should it crystallize? It is difficult to give exact answers to these questions, since they simply do not exist. It all depends on many factors that influence the condensation processes - the type of nectar, its purity, pumping and storage conditions. The varieties that sugar up most quickly include sunflower, rapeseed and buckwheat honey. They begin to crystallize literally a few weeks after pumping.

Linden, sweet clover and buckwheat nectar also thickens quickly. Heather, honeydew and chestnut honey crystallize more slowly. Such varieties may not be candied throughout the winter. The record holder in this matter is the acacia product, which retains its structure for up to several years. This is the reason why it is so popular.

How to return honey to its original state?

Some people are not very fond of candied honey, preferring to consume the sticky nectar. If the consistency of the product is important to you, you can return it. This is done by heating. This method is actively used by nectar traders in markets. To preserve the presentation of honey for a long time, it is heated. However, excessive overheating leads to the loss of all beneficial properties. In addition, honey acquires a characteristic brown tint. An overheated product forever loses its ability to become sugared, and no benefit can be expected from it.

How to properly make nectar liquid?

In order for the nectar to become liquid again, it must be heated in a water bath. For this we need two pans of different sizes. You need to pour water into a large one and put it on fire. After the liquid boils, it is worth reducing the gas intensity to a minimum. We lower the smaller pan into a larger container, having previously placed a towel on the bottom, and place a jar of honey in it. The water should be very hot, but not boiling. Within fifteen minutes the honey will become liquid again. But it is worth remembering that at temperatures above +40 degrees, nectar loses its properties.

The second method of liquefying honey is a little simpler. Place the jar of nectar in a pan of hot water. After some time it will become more rare. You can also heat the product in the microwave. This method is the simplest and fastest, but also the most dangerous, since you will not be able to control the temperature.

Experts do not recommend heating all the honey you have. If you really want liquid nectar, make a small portion so as not to spoil the whole mass. Moreover, in the future the product will thicken again anyway.

Instead of an afterword

Honey is a wonderful natural product that should always be in the house. But buying sweet nectar always involves many questions. We hope that in our article you found answers to them that will be useful to you in the future. And now purchasing nectar will become an easier task for you. After all, now you know why fresh honey is sugared, which means you shouldn’t be afraid of it.

Crystallization of honey occurs due to the high glucose content. If the product is natural and does not contain any additives, then by November it should change its structure - become very thick. This process is natural, but not for all varieties. Many consumers prefer the liquid product, as it is more convenient to use for various purposes. Therefore, we suggest finding out which honey is not candied and why this happens.

Why do some varieties remain liquid?

The monosaccharides that make up honey are the basis of the nutritional value of this product. Their part is quite large, so the honey begins to become sugary over time. But some varieties are able to retain their original structure for a long time, remaining liquid and without changing their pleasant amber hue. So why doesn't honey thicken? There may be several reasons for this.

1. Monosaccharides are a combination of two simple sugars - fruit and grape. When the amount of the first type of sugar, fructose, begins to predominate, the product loses its ability to crystallize.
2. To quickly obtain nectar, some beekeepers feed bees with regular sugar syrup. Such artificial feeding leads to the fact that the insect’s saliva, combining with beet sugar, turns into a low-quality product. This surrogate is able to maintain a liquid consistency for a long time.
3. Heat-treated honey loses not only its nutritional value, but also its ability to crystallize. An overheated product is often dark in color and is not able to have a healing effect.
4. A high percentage of water content prevents honey from becoming sugared. This often occurs due to improper storage of the bee product. If certain technologies are violated, it begins to absorb moisture, becomes oversaturated with it and loses its ability to thicken.
5. Constant stirring of the product may affect the crystallization process. Sellers quite often use this technique to preserve the presentation of honey.
6. If natural nectar is diluted with sugar syrup, it will become more liquid. And this is another way that allows sellers to make their product more “attractive.”

Advice! Choose honey carefully and remember that liquid honey is not necessarily high quality. A diluted or overheated product completely loses all its healing properties.

Liquid varieties

The speed of the crystallization process is directly related to the grade of honey. The variety will depend on the plant from which the bees obtain pollen. In any case, the composition will be mixed, but the percentage of one or another nectar will always prevail. Its name, properties and rate of settling of sweetness depend on this.

Now it’s worth talking about which type of honey does not crystallize, or rather, has a too slow sugaring process:

• lime;
• Greek;
• chestnut;
• acacia;
• May.

Lime

Linden honey is a white, fine-grained variety. It is able to maintain its liquid consistency for a long time - about 3 months. It can be viscous and moderately viscous. The rate at which the sweetness settles will depend on this.

After the crystallization process, linden honey becomes like a thick porridge. Large crystals are not formed. After some time, you may notice a separation of the product into two substances - the upper layer will be more liquid, the lower one will be thicker. But at the same time it will never become hard.

Greek

By the name it is easy to determine the homeland of this beekeeping product. Greece, with its pristine nature and clean ecology, has presented a unique variety of honey, which is considered the purest. Tourists often bring this product as a gift to their family and friends. What determines the high quality of this variety? First of all, because it is collected not from flowers, but from insects that feed on the sap of various plants.

1. The famous honeydew or pine honey, if it were absolutely pure and did not contain impurities, would never be candied at all. But unfortunately, it is impossible to obtain such a product, since bees will always meet flowering plants on their way, beckoning with their fragrant nectar. Therefore, the sweetness still settles in it, but very slowly.
2. Thyme honey is obtained from thyme inflorescences. Only six months after pumping it out can you see the beginning of the crystallization process. It will remain in a liquid state for about a year and a half.

Greek honey is collected until late autumn, and in favorable weather conditions even in winter. That is why it does not have time to shrink by November, which often happens with beekeeping products pumped out in the climatic conditions of Russia.

Chestnut

May

This variety of nectar is pumped out in spring and early summer. Bees begin to collect pollen already in March and April, visiting the first honey plants, including: apple tree, cherry tree, bird cherry and lily of the valley.

This variety is characterized by a high fructose content, which determines its ability to maintain a liquid consistency for a long time. May honey is very high in calories and is quickly absorbed without disturbing the function of the pancreas.

It is best to purchase it in the fall, when the crystallization process has already begun. This way you will protect yourself from buying counterfeit goods, because May honey is most often counterfeited, passing it off as a natural product.

Acacia

Fragrant acacia nectar, like Greek nectar, is a white, fine-grained variety. Why does this honey not crystallize for a long time? This feature is due to the high liquid content, as well as fructose (40%) and glucose (35%). Immediately after pumping out, it looks more like syrup and remains in this form for about two years. The sugaring process makes it quite light.

Important! The consistency of honey is not a sign of its quality and it is impossible to establish this without special testing.

In nature, there are a variety of varieties - some can remain liquid for a long time, others quickly crystallize. Perhaps the main criterion when choosing may be the season in which you purchase honey. Remember that in winter and the first month of spring, a natural product cannot have a uniform liquid structure. The crystallization process should be visible at least to a small extent. Pay attention to the bottom of the vessel, this is where the first sediment should appear.

All materials on the Priroda-Znaet.ru website are presented for informational purposes only. Before using any product, consultation with a doctor is MANDATORY!

Many people who purchase delicious bee products are interested in the question of whether honey should be candied and what honey is not candied. Crystallization is a natural process that changes the structure of the product and its color. After a certain amount of time, the dessert becomes viscous, begins to turn white and loses its original color. Most buyers prefer a liquid treat, but the question of whether they are doing the right thing and whether the honey should be candied still worries everyone.

Why does crystallization occur?

To answer the question of how and why honey is candied, you need to understand what is included in the product. A few months after collecting the bee product, it may begin to thicken, then turn white, its color becomes lighter, and its consistency becomes thicker, what does this mean? This process may mean that honey is being sugared.

Natural honey contains a large amount of substances such as fructose and glucose. Honey is candied in accordance with the ratio of carbohydrates contained in the product and glucose. If the amount of glucose in sweets reaches up to 35%, then honey quickly begins to crystallize. This happens for a simple reason: glucose is converted into sweet crystals that settle to the bottom.

There are varieties of bee products in which fructose significantly predominates. It is thanks to this that honey does not sugar up so quickly or does not have to be sugared at all for a long time (sometimes even more than one year). Fructose helps to envelop the components that make up the treat, and this, in turn, prevents the formation of crystals. If the honey is sugared, do not worry.

Candied honey does not lose any of its beneficial properties and does not mean that the quality of the delicacy is poor. It can be eaten with equal success and used as an additive to desserts and drinks. If you wish, you can melt the candied honey, while preserving all its beneficial qualities. But the main thing is to do it correctly; for this you need to remember that you cannot heat the product to more than 50 degrees, so as not to lose its beneficial properties. It is best to melt the sweetness in a water bath.

Causes of crystallization

There are several reasons why honey can become sugary. They are influenced by certain factors, these include:

• Type of flower - honey plant;
• Weather;
• Maturity;
• Are there any impurities;
• Presence of moisture;
• Storage method;
• Storage.

It depends on the variety whether the honey will be candied. For example, such “gold” varieties as sunflower and buckwheat do not retain their freshness for so long (only about a month). The candied product does not differ in quality from its liquid consistency. And there are varieties of sweets, such as acacia or may, that retain their liquid consistency for a long time. How long can such honey be stored in a liquid state? Such varieties can remain liquid for more than one year in a row. A non-crystallizing product has higher demand among buyers.

What type of bee products does not crystallize?

None of the types of real honey can remain permanently in a liquid state. In any case, the honey must be candied after a year or several years. But if you properly store the product, you can leave it in a liquid consistency for a long time. How to store honey correctly and how long will it remain fresh? You need to store the sweets in a dark and cool place; a basement is a good place for this, but there should not be excess moisture there. If you follow the requirements, you can enjoy the sticky sweetness for a year or two.

For example, acacia sweetness is similar to syrup, so its liquid consistency can delight you for 2-3 years. The linden product may not be completely sugared, but only become pasty. Chestnut bee product has a bright and rich color, having a brown tint. It is capable of not crystallizing for half a year.

May honey is collected at the end of May or early summer. Such a product is able to maintain its liquid consistency for 1-2 years, since it contains a large amount of fructose.

The main thing is to remember that under no circumstances should you add sweetness to hot drinks, as the healthy product will lose its healing properties. Candied honey can be melted before use.

Why is the beekeeping product not sugared?

There are times when a long period of time passes, and a tasty and sweet product is still not candied. Why is honey not sugared and how much time is needed for this?

The reasons may be various factors, for example, the water content in the treat exceeds the norm. Some beekeepers specially dilute the delicacy with syrup to lure buyers, because such sweetness cannot crystallize.

Another reason why fresh honey is not sugared is that it contains insufficient pollen. The beekeeper is in no way to blame for this; the bees themselves determine the norm for the development of their bee “gold”.

If you constantly stir the treat, this can extend the period during which the sweetness remains in a liquid state. Storing a sweet product at a low temperature can slightly freeze the sugaring process, but this will not in any way affect its beneficial properties.

Do not forget that there are some varieties that can be stored in a liquid state for a long time without adding impurities.

Are the beneficial properties retained?

Bee product comes in liquid and crystallized form, which raises the question: is the candied product healthy or not? Of course, one should not question the benefits of such a delicacy. After all, during crystallization, its color and taste change slightly, but its beneficial properties remain unchanged. Most people, when choosing such a delicacy, prefer sweets in a liquid state, but liquid does not mean healthy.

It is much easier to mix any impurities into the liquid consistency, for example, sugar syrup. Thanks to it, honey is not only diluted, but also not sugared for a long time, thereby attracting the attention of buyers. After all, liquid sweetness is much easier to spread on bread, and eating it is more pleasant than peeling off a solid product.

When choosing a delicacy, you should also pay attention to the candied sweetness, which has a huge amount of useful and nutritious substances. The bee product can be used for medicinal purposes, for example, for sore throat (it is enough to eat one or two spoons daily on an empty stomach, washed down with warm water or milk), for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, for high blood pressure, as well as for bruises, bruises and abrasions ( You can make various lotions and compresses based on bee products).

How to quickly and efficiently melt a candied delicacy?

There are several methods that allow you to quickly and correctly melt the delicacy so that the product does not lose its beneficial properties. Among them, the following three methods are noted:

1. method: kindling in a water bath, for this you need to place some container with honey on it, then heat it slowly to the required temperature. The main thing is not to overheat, because if the temperature goes beyond 50 degrees Celsius, then most of the beneficial microelements die.
2. method: honey can be melted using a stove or battery. Place the jar near the battery; it will warm up slowly, and most importantly, gradually. This process will take much longer, but it will be worth it.
3. method: there is special equipment designed for beekeepers, called a decrystallizer. With its help, you can melt honey without much effort and not worry about it being overheated.

So, most people who purchase this healthy sweet ask many questions about whether a candied product is healthy, which delicacy is better to choose, which one will be healthier: candied or one with a liquid consistency. The sweetness begins to crystallize as a result of the fact that it contains a large amount of glucose, which predominates over the other components, so crystals appear.

In cases where fructose predominates in the product, it may not be candied for a long period of time, sometimes even several years. The crystallization process can be slightly slowed down or stopped if the sweetness is stored properly in the right conditions: in a cool, dark place without moisture. The benefits of candied bee products remain unchanged. During crystallization, the beneficial properties do not leave the delicacy. It is best to purchase sweets from trusted and reliable beekeepers. Liquid or thickened product is everyone’s personal choice. The main thing to remember is that, if desired, the candied delicacy can be melted in a water bath.

When buying honey, everyone pays attention to its consistency. Sellers claim that buyers are more willing to take a beautiful, liquid elixir, and pay much less attention to the candied one. But a month passes, then another, and the product is still the same. Why is honey liquid and is there a catch? Let's figure it out together.

Should honey remain liquid like water and not thicken?

Natural, without additives, it is necessarily sugared, the only difference is when. But there are well-known exceptions, for example, acacia. Pure acacia may not thicken for years, of course, with proper storage. This is what experienced beekeepers say. Liquid honey, if natural, will stay that way for at least a month or two and then may begin to thicken.

It is known that the density of a substance is determined by the glucose in its composition. In fact, the more glucose, the higher the chances of rapid crystallization. If the substance is a record holder for the presence of fructose, and not glucose, it will take a long time to wait for thickening. “Fructose” champions among honey varieties are acacia and fireweed.

What are the reasons for this process?

Why is honey liquid like water? What is the reason for this? First of all, the option of falsification cannot be discarded. It's a shame, but it's a fact - some unscrupulous sellers deliberately dilute the candied so that it becomes liquid again. Moreover, such heating certainly does not benefit the product. How to distinguish liquid from adulterated or diluted?

A high-quality mass should smell, not of flowers, but of honey, wax, honeycomb. If you have been to an apiary at least once in your entire life, you will not confuse this smell with anything else. And there are exceptions here - honey from Ivan tea. However, it is quite rare to find it in its pure form in the markets, and not everyone is familiar with this aroma. If the liquid flows from the spoon like water, splashes, and the stream is interrupted too quickly, look for another seller. Such a product is diluted with syrup, and is also immature.

By purchasing an unripe variety, you risk becoming the owner of a fermented product that will either acquire a sour taste or foam. But you shouldn’t blame all liquid types of honey either. A rarefied state for the time being is the norm for the results of bee work. Perhaps it also has to do with how the mass is stored at home. An even temperature, without changes in cold, allows honey to maintain its normal state.

Is it possible to influence the crystallization of honey?

If you really want to keep the liquid state longer, the jars can be placed at a uniform temperature. Under no circumstances should you place them in the cold or on the balcony in winter, then you won’t have to ask “why.” Crystallization can be either slowed down or accelerated.

Let's say you like to eat a candied product, but your purchase is like water. It is necessary to try to thicken the substance. This can be done using several techniques:

• refrigerate for a long time (a couple of months);
• change the storage temperature for a short time (for two weeks);
• expose to light (it is not recommended to experiment, ultraviolet negates all qualities);
• mix in the jar and leave (quick setting is guaranteed).

If crystallization does not occur, there are few options: either the storage is so comfortable that the product will not harden very soon without stirring, or you are faced with a counterfeit. Only natural mass with a high glucose content, stored at room temperature without stirring, may not thicken for a long time.

Video “How to choose high quality honey”

An educational video about the right choice of a quality product - how to choose and what to pay attention to.